Improvement in railroad-chairs



UNITED STATES BENJAMIN F. GOSSIN,

PATENT EEICE.

OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILROAD-CHAIRS.

the accompanying drawings, making a partof this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the bottom of two sections ot' rails connected together at their joints with my improved compound chair. Fig. 2 shows the ends of two rails with one of the side supporting-bars removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the chair and rail, taken at an intermediate point between the rail-bolts of cach section of rail.

Similar letters oi' reference indicate corresponding parts in the three gures.

This invention is intended to connect together and support the rails at the joints thereof in a more substantial and perfect manner than hitherto, and in such manner that the pressure oftherolling load upon the rail-head or table of the T-rail will not on y he supported by the rails at their joints, but all lateral thrust, or a tendency thereto, will be prevented. At the same time I make all necessary provision for the lineal expansion and contraction of the rail in consequence of the change of temperature.

vI am aware that wedges or tie-plates have been passed under rails laterally, but iu such contrivances the ends ot' the wedges or tieplates have not been conned by the side supporting bars or plates.

The nature of my invention consists in so adapting the side plates and the base or tie plate for application to the joints of rails that with the aid of key-bolts the base-plate when applied to the joint of the rail is confined within arectangular frame-work, below the rail, in such manner that it is supported vertically-laterally and longitudinallysuch support being on both sides and at both ends of the plate. As the plate is thussupported, it in turn supports the joint of the rail in the most thorough manner. The operation is such that the side plates receive the weight that comes upon the rail in such manner that they have nearly their tensile instead of their cross-sectional strength.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanyingdrawings, A A repre sent the ends of two sections of the common railroad T-rail, which have oblong slots c c punched through their necks at some distance from the ends oteach rail. The lengths ot' the slots c a are made in a direction with the length of the rail, and the bolts which pass transversely through this slot, as will be hereinafter described, are not quite as wide as the length of the slot. It will therefore be seen that provision is made at these points for expansion and contraction of the rails.

B B are two clam ping-plates, which are made of a suiiicient length to extend some distance on each side of the rail-joint. These two plates are formed with jaws b b at their lower edges, which jaws form longitudinal recesses for the reception of the longitudinal edges oi' the bridge or base plate (l. The

upper portions ot the plates B B are curved and fashioned in such av manner as to support the lips of the rail-table, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 3 of the drawings. 'lwo holes, c d, are punched transversely through the clamping-plates B B, at each end thereof, for the purpose of reteivin g the transverse throughbolts b D c c', which coniine the whole together, and the bridge-plate C is kept in its place and prevented from moving endwse by the two boltsl b b', against which the ends of plate c abut. The through-bolts c' c3, which pass through the necks of the two sections of rails, confine the supporting or shing plate in place against the under surfaces of the lips of the rail-table, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.

The bolts which I use to confino the clamping-plates in their places are iiat, with asquare head on oneend and a verticallongitudinal slot punched through the other end for receiving a wedge, g, which is used to lock the joint together. j lhese bolts b b c c', fourbeing used, not only clamp or draw the plates B B up closely to each side ofthe rail ends A A, and clamp the bridge-plate G tightly in its place laterally, but the bolts prevent the plate (l from moving longitudinally, and keep it rigidly lixed in its relative position with the joint of the two sections of rail, independently ot' railroad-spikes, which have been used in conjunction with chairs to keep them in their places, and which are always objectionable on aceou nt of their bein gliable to draw out of place by the concussions ofthe rolling load on the rail-joints. l

It will be seen from the above description that the bridge-plate C gives a firm support to the rail-base, while it is itselt1 again supported by the thick clamps b b of the side plates B B. Then, again, the upper edges ot' these plates B B support the lips of the railtable, and alleombined furnish a positive support against any upward er downward move ment oi the rails at the joints. The plate C, together with the clamping-plates B B and the manner ot' putting the rwhole together, willprevent any lateral thrustof the rail-joints. lt will also be seen that by using the bridgeplate C under the rail-base this plaie Will receive the Weight of the rolling load and communicate it to the clamping-plates on the side ot' the rail in such a manner that the ends of the two sections oi' rail are supported throughout the entire length of the respective portonsB B and C, thus adding great strength to the rail at the joints thereof and preventing a rapid destruction of the rails in consequenceofthe beatin g down ofthe ends. These plates B B and O may also be applied to rails which are spiked down to the ties, and thus obviate the great loss of time required with many railroad-chairs to lift up the ends of'V the rails to apply the chairs, which involves the necessity of withdrawing the spikes and regaging the rails.

' It is obvious rthat the number of throughbolts may be varied or changed, as necessity may demand, without departing from the character of my invention.

I do not claim,broadly, a base-support to a rail-joint; nor do I claim side supports, nor do I claim a wedgeplate driven through side plates and under a rail-joint; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The adaptation of the base-plate C, side plates B, bolts b b', and rails A A, for use together in such manner that the base-plate C is supported and conf-ned againstlateral, longitudinal, and vertical, movement,in the manner substantially as described.

2. The combination of the side platesB b b, through bolts b b' c c, and plate C, with the rails A A, in the manner substantially as described.

3. The side plate B b b, constructed as described, for the purpose set forth.

4. The arrangement at the ends of' the plate C, of the key-bolts b b, in the manner and for the purpose described.

5. Preventing lateral play of the base-plate C by means of thejaws b b,whieh underhang the plate C in the manner described.

Witnesses: BENJ. F. GOSSIN.

WM. M. BURGOYNE, y C. GURRY WILLIAMS. 

